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Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) has acquired Acme Packet (APKT), which develops session delivery network solutions -- a fancy term for enabling mission-critical voice, data and unified communications services across IP networks.
The VAR Guy
February 4, 2013
1 Min Read
Microsoft Lync
Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) has acquired Acme Packet (APKT), which develops session delivery network solutions — a fancy term for enabling mission-critical voice, data and unified communications services across IP networks. The $2.1 billion cash deal could give Oracle’s corporate IT and carrier channel partners a lift. But Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) Lync partners could also see some potential impact. Here’s why. Here’s why.Dana Cooperson, principal analyst at Ovum, a market research firm, believes the acquisition should strengthen Oracle’s hand both with enterprises and carriers by giving it a more central role in controlling and improving how devices and subscribers interact and communicate. Cooperson sees three clear trends behind the deal:
IT and telecom are rapidly blending;
software increasingly drives network capabilities; and
communications need to be anytime, anywhere.
Acme Packet and Microsoft Lync
So far, so good. But Acme Packet also offers Microsoft Lync integration solutions. Indeed, Microsoft and Acme Packet have worked together to enable direct SIP connectivity between Microsoft Lync Mediation Servers and Acme Packet SBCs. The companies also provide interoperability testing as part of the Microsoft Unified Communications Open Interoperability Program (UCOIP).
Lync has been one of Microsoft’s fastest-growing application businesses. In addition to the on-premises offering, Lync is part of the Office 365 cloud suite, which is finally catching on with channel partners. And Microsoft is likely planning to make Lync a full-blown hosted PBX over time.
But will Oracle CEO Larry Ellison keep Acme Packet focused on Lync? Hmmm… It’s far too soon to say.
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